Winterizing

Rosebud & Baby Blue at home

They say this will be another La Nina winter so I'm getting ready for snow.  I've already found it can be a fair bit of fun to ride in fresh, light snow if you have the right clothes, good tread on your tires, and a solid, reliable bike.  I'm resolved to make the best of it.

Last week I had my first flat tire on my new bike, and had to patch a punctured tube on the road side at night on my way home from work (at least it wasn't raining).  I discovered the knobby tires that came on the bike aren't as rugged as they look - they're actually so soft and thin I could almost take the tire off bare-handed.  I was glad at the time, but I'll need something tougher for everyday commuting.

So I spent an afternoon swapping parts between my old and new bikes.  The Surly now has nearly-new Vittorias with tire liners, and the knobby tires are on the K-2.  I also added fenders, except the Planet Bike set I bought didn't exactly fit either bike.  I ended up putting the front fender on the Surly, which will help keep my feet dry.  The rear fender is on the K-2. I had to use some miscellaneous mounting hardware left over from old accessories, plus a couple of rubber-bands to keep the rear fender from rubbing the tire.  I haven't road-tested them yet, but I think things will hang together.

The K-2 has been re-christened Rosebud, the snow-bike.